Thursday, April 21, 2016

Do We Even Know When Angels Live Among Us?

I don't even know what to say about Prince. He came to us, full bloomed when I was in nursing school, already in my very late twenties. His music was not the music that made my bones what they are but I recognized, I knew without doubt, that he was the real deal. That he had driven a spike into a completely different realm of music, of art, and let it flow free and the world lapped it up and became drunk on its bloody magnificence.

Like Bowie. Like the Beatles. Like the Rolling Stones. Like Little Richard. Like Chuck Berry and Elvis and Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters and Michael Jackson and Joni Mitchell and Aretha Franklin and like St. Jimi Hendrix.

One of those guys.

And as with Bowie, he did not seem human. He transcended sex and race and gender and any sort of description. He was male/female. He was tiny, he was huge, he was a screamer, a whisperer, a musician who let loose the hounds of hell and the doves of peace.

When I wrote my post last night, I should have mentioned people like Bowie, like Prince, even like Mick Jagger and Little Richard, who refused to fit squarely and snuggly into any square of definition as to what a man looked like, dressed like, sounded like, was.
These people were not round pegs in square holes. They were fluid enough to fill any space. Their beings were too liquid to be defined while their music was too amazing to be ignored.

And so, again as with Bowie especially, it seemed impossible that he would die. Like...a mortal? Really?

And yet, yes. Prince's soul in this incarnation at least, inhabited a human body, a body as prey to disease and death as any of us live in.

I can't say that I'm devastated at his death. But I can say that I am hallelujah-holy amazed that he lived among us for the time that he did.

I hope he went in peace. Like a Prince. Like a veritable Prince of Peace.

Doves cry.

Love...Ms. Moon





13 comments:

  1. Beautifully put, I agree completely. You've put words on what I was thinking.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That was perfect, Mary. And so beautiful.
    I love that sentence:
    "They were fluid enough to fill any space. Their beings were too liquid to be defined while their music was too amazing to be ignored."
    And this post just came off the top of your head, amazing!

    My daughter adored him from the very beginning, which may be in part why purple is her favorite color. She was heartbroken this morning. She taught me to appreciate him and that wasn't hard to do. I really think he was a genius. Very sad lose for the world.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautifully said, Mary. Yes. Exactly this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I saw Prince in concert years ago and he was amazing . I'm still coming to terms with the death of Bowie, very sad indeed .

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mary, your writing is - like those folks, fluid and fits into any space. YES, this is a most lovely post...everyone dies

    ReplyDelete
  6. I 'm either getting old(er) or somewhere in another realm, time is taking artists that impacted our music of these seemingly short multi decades of my life. I would like to think that they are all playing and singing together creating new music amongst themselves.

    Yes Mary...you put it well...and like one of your other commenters...I too am still getting over David Bowie.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I don't think I will ever get over the world losing Bowie, I have long thought St Jimi shouldn't have gone... Prince was one of those for sure, and I will not be getting over being here without him. I think that we are't meant to get over any of the people we lose. They are part of us. Our decades spent here together are becoming more precious to me. Mary, your writing today was wonderful, thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. so many are being taken from us this year. Prince, yes, all of that.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is almost exactly how I feel about Prince. I'm not devastated, but he was such a part of the soundtrack of my youth that I can't help but feel a sort of shock. I loved what you said about his similarity to Bowie -- the blending of male/female, black/white, tiny/huge. He seemed to transcend all the dualities. Thanks so much for putting your finger on that!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am still mourning David and Lou. Always will I expect.

    Love you,

    Sher

    ReplyDelete

Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.